Connecticut’s Female Legislators

Currently in Connecticut women comprise 29% of the legislature (25% of the Senate and 30% of the House of Representatives). Below is a full list of female legislators in the state. To find out who your state legislators are, visit the CT General Assembly website.

“It is essential that we recruit more women into politics if we are ever going to have a government that is truly representative of the people and for the people. I say this realizing that it is not easily done. However, as a wife and a mother I know that women in my situation spend much of their time focused on positive outcomes by facilitating relationships and negotiating compromise. This is a skill that is often lacking in today’s political arena.” -Sen. Bartolomeo

“Time and again, women leaders have shown that they are willing to take risks and get things done, and when they combine these qualities with their openness, flexibility, empathy and strong interpersonal skills, a leadership style is created that is inclusive, consensus building and collaborative.” -Sen. Boucher

“I tell young women that achieving change begins by raising your hand and wanting to get involved. Women get elected to public office just as often as men do if they choose to run. Once we make that decision to run and get elected, the public is better served.” – Sen. Bye

“When women lead everyone’s voice is heard and problems get solved. We can no longer accept being a quarter or a third of our society’s leaders. We must achieve parity and the only way to do that is to recruit and support more women running for office. Those of us in leadership must clear path for new female leaders to come along and then, together, we can really change the world.” -Sen. Flexer

“An increased number of women in the workplace has exponentially put all of us in a better place today. While this trend continues and we experience growing numbers of women in higher education, we need to be ever vigilant in mentoring more women to assume their rightful place in the sciences, technology, law and government.” -Sen. Hartley

“Women bring different perspectives to the workplace, often working towards consensus while preserving family-supporting initiatives. It’s extremely important to have women’s voices in leadership.” -Sen Osten

“Women must continue to get involved, stay informed, speak our minds and RUN FOR OFFICE!! We bring our own talents, knowledge, gifts and experiences with us as we work to affect positive change in the world. Women can and must stand at the helm in our homes, businesses and our government to further our progression toward equality.” -Rep. Abercrombie

“Women, through their work in the legislature, have made an indelible stamp on the State of Connecticut. It’s an honor to be among the many women who have and continue to help lead this state today, and I hope the example we set will encourage young women to find ways to make positive impressions on their community, state and country.” -Rep. Buck-Taylor

“Women leaders have the ability to look at issues creatively, have empathy and the courage to do what is right. Each leader has their own perspective and life experience that they bring to the table. It is the ability to respect and come to a solution collaboratively that makes women leaders unique.” -Rep. Conroy

“I think it is important for women to be in politics, partially because we can act as role models for young women and show them that this isn’t just a man’s job. That women are equal to men. Women, and a woman’s perspective, are an integral part of the political process, where we bring life skills, like being mothers who can multitask, to the table.” -Rep. Cook

“The role of women in leadership is not only vital to this generation of women, as a way of breaking the glass ceiling, but to our daughters and granddaughters as well, so that they can see that it is possible for women to not only obtain these roles, but also prosper and flourish in them.” -Rep Floren

“I have served in the House of Representatives in Hartford for almost 15 terms. In all those years, I have observed several constants: women do their homework; women work for solutions; women are never afraid to tackle controversial issues; all issues are women’s issues; and finally, women in government are not involved in scandals.” -Rep. Fritz

“I am proud to serve in the legislature along with my fellow female colleagues. I believe women inherently possess the ability to build partnerships and work cooperatively to pass legislation and create sound public policy to improve our economy and the quality of life for all of our citizens.” -Rep. Gentile

“Women have made great strides in leadership positions across our country but more can always be accomplished. In the Connecticut legislature women have been able to empower each other to become involved, to assume leadership positions and to bring others into those roles in the community. With hard work, integrity and a desire to give back for the betterment of others we will be able to continue moving forward and bringing others up to an equal plane regardless of race, color, creed, or gender.” -Rep. Giegler

“I am proud of the accomplishments and leadership roles that women occupy in Government today. I think it is important for all of us to remember that although women have come a long way, we still have a long way to go. As women legislators, we must always support the women, both nationally and internationally, that are victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. These women should always be in the forefront of our minds as we continue to fight for equality of all women.” -Rep. Grogins

“Each generation of leaders has the responsibility of opening doors and creating additional opportunities for those that succeed them. Women in leadership tend to naturally mentor, collaborate and foster those with whom they work and for those they serve.” -Rep. Hoydick

“The secret of success is inner strength. We all have it. It’s a question of recognizing that strength and using it to the fullest degree in achieving what we want. It allows us to try and try again to achieve our goals and change direction until we get there.” -Rep. Janowski

“It is important for our society to elect legislators who have had a variety of experiences. Women and men may share the same social class or educational attainment but their experiences will be very different because our society treats women and men differently. Legislators take the issues of common experiences and work to make our lives better. Our laws are better when all perspectives are represented.” -Rep. Johnson

“The unique perspective that female leaders bring to policy making is invaluable as our communities face issues more diverse and challenging than ever before. I am hopeful we will continue to create opportunities for underrepresented groups while striving toward a society that recognizes achievement irrespective of gender.” -Rep. Klarides

“Women provide a unique perspective that is a necessary part of tackling the varied and complex issues government is faced with every day. Having women occupy leadership roles in government benefits everyone and I hope that we can continue to see more and more women get involved with each generation.” -Rep. Kokoruda

“Women represent more than half of Connecticut’s population, and the composition of our state government should reflect that. The presence of women in elected office brings much needed balance to our decision-making process and demonstrates that leadership, success, and capability come in many guises. As women, we have a clear responsibility to bring our perspective to the governing process as we listen attentively to those we represent and do all we can to ensure that the way is clear for them to fulfill their aspirations with determination, hard work, and a readiness to dream.” -Rep. Lavielle

“I think it is so important to have female lawmakers because we are proof to young girls and women that we are capable of holding leadership positions and writing public policy. It isn’t just a role tailored strictly for men. One of the things I admire most about women is their unique ability to find common ground, even if we don’t always agree. And this common ground is essential as we tackle the tough issues that our state is facing.” -Rep. Miller

“Women should be involved in the community because they are members of it and the community’s decisions affect them and their loved ones. On some issues, I include the whole world in the community.” -Rep. Mushinsky

“Every successful woman is a unique individual, but in my experience, they have some remarkable traits in common. They tend to be brave, collaborative, committed, caring, generous, intellectually and emotionally smart and harder working than everybody else. They also know how to laugh and how to cut through the nonsense to get things done.” -Rep. Reed

“Our work as public elected officials gives us an exceptional opportunity to make a difference in influencing public policy and reshaping our struggle for equality. While we have already seen some encouraging changes, we still find ourselves striving to reach equal recognition and respect. The only way we will continue to make change happen is by defying old-fashioned bias and moving forward.” -Rep. Rose

“We have the power to achieve anything we set our minds to. It takes determination, confidence and courage to do what is right and claim what belongs to us without letting anyone derail us from our goals. We set our own pace.” -Rep. Santiago

“Encouraging young women, letting them know what a good job they are doing is very empowering. Women tend to compliment other women on their looks, or clothes, while men compliment each other on their skills. Women need to know they have all the skills necessary to be president of the board, president of the college, and president of the United States. When we help others, we pull ourselves up as well.” -Rep. Sayers

“Having women in politics is as necessary to social justice as water is to our body’s survival. Women are able to provide a voice, a certain perspective, that isn’t always heard or expressed by our male counterparts. We need to be at the table in order to be part of the conversation and the solution. Female leaders are helping to blaze the trail to ensure that happens. It isn’t just your home anymore - everywhere needs a women’s touch and that includes politics.” – Rep. Walker

“As the saying goes, ‘we’ve come a long way,’ but have we— when you consider that women are 51% of the voters? In the State Senate, there are 9 women. 30 years ago, there were 8. Today, in the House of Representatives, there are 55 women, only 36%. This is only a 6% increase in over three decades. Despite gains in political representation in American politics, women still lack parity with their male counterparts. We need to reach out to more women by mentoring, recruiting and supporting.” -Rep. Willis

“Our perspective is much needed at all levels of government. We are tireless fighters for our children and for their ability to afford to live in our great state. To paraphrase the late great Margaret Thatcher…’any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a state.'”

“I hold a deep appreciation for the effort of the women who paved the way for me and the women I serve with in the legislature. Because of that, I approach this job with an added sense of responsibility—we are role models for the next generation of female leaders, every day demonstrating that women can play impactful roles in shaping the direction of this state.” -Rep. Zupkus